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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Everyone Needs a Boost

Yesterday I got one of the biggest compliments ever. I was making the treadmill my bitch, I mean walking on the treadmill, and my athletic therapist comes over to check in and introduce me to the student AT working with him. He says "I know you can't tell from looking at her now, but Lori has just had a hip replacement." She looked impressed!! Yup. That happened!!

This is week 14 since new hip day and I somehow really needed to hear someone say that. My leg muscles had been feeling tight and not stretching well. I was feeling down a bit about still using a cane and still not being able to do a leg lift with that new hip... Blah, blah, blah....pity party ensued...

You know what? It has only been 14 freaking weeks! Time to check my unrealistic expectations at the door and look at the facts and the accomplishments!

1) I have a new hip. That means a surgeon has cut through my muscles, sawed out a piece of my bone, hammered in a titanium replacement, drilled into other bone to make an acetabulum, lined it, used 2 giagantic screws to hold it in place and sewed and stapled me back together. I think it is just fine to be where I am right now. There will be days the muscles are angry and feel weird. There will be days I want to be able to do more and not get tired doing. Calm down! It will get better. (Turns out walking in the softer snowy surfaces causes shorter stride lengths which most likely contributed to the tightness I was feeling. I will have to get on the treadmill a little more often to keep my stride length longer)

2) I am able to walk over 2 km every day, and I do! Just. Because. I. Can. Sure, I'm using a cane outside or the rails on the treadmill, but I can walk! Today I posted my fastest km in ages while walking outside! The second split time is 12:55!

3) I can stretch and move in ways I haven't been able to for years and it feels awesome. Seriously. To get a hamstring stretch, or bring my knee up to my chest (getting closer)..... AMAZING! Yesterday, I put a sock on my left foot, without help or using the sock aid! WHAT? (Before the sock aide, I would have gone sockless if Hubby or the Boy weren't home....)